30 Nov 2015

Police in Francistown are investigating an incident in which a 17 year old man of Block 2 in Francistown drowned in Tati River on Friday November 27.

Kutlwano police station commander, Superintendent Neo Serumola told BOPA that the man, who was in the company of his peers together with a 33 year-old herbalist, drowned in the river near Molapo Estate while trying to swim.

He said the deceased had accompanied the herbalist to the river bank to look for herbs but decided to swim while waiting.

Supt Serumola said the incident was reported to the police and with the help of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Scuba divers, they managed to recover the man who was certified dead on arrival at Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital (NRH).

He said they are also investigating two rape cases that took place on Friday and Saturday and Supt Serumola said in one incident, a 25 year-old woman was raped on Friday around 1000hrs while trying to cross Tati River on her way to Adansonia Hotel.

Supt Serumola said an unknown man who came out of the bush raped the victim and fled the scene.

In the other incident, a woman of an undisclosed age was raped by an unknown man after the man posed to be a taxi operator.

Supt Serumola said the victim alleged that she was looking for a taxi on her way back home from a night club and she agreed with the man who posed to be taxi operator to drop her at Donga but on the way the man diverted to Molapo where he raped her.

He appealed to the women to take their safety seriously and avoid travelling alone at night and in isolated places. ENDS